Avian Flu Scan for Jan 27, 2016

China confirms H7N9 case in Hunan province

Provincial health officials have confirmed H7N9 avian flu in a 33-year-old man in Hunan province, the first case in the central China province this winter, according to Xinhua, China's state news agency.

The man, from Xintian County, is hospitalized. No other information about his condition or risk factors is available.

Recent H7N9 cases have been reported in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces, the story noted, including a death in Zhejiang and one in Guangdong. Guangdong province also has reported five H5N6 avian flu cases in recent weeks.

The global H7N9 total—almost all cases have been in China—has reached 712 cases, according to a list compiled by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.Jan 27 Xinhua story FluTrackers H7N9 case list

Nigeria reports 6 H5N1 outbreaks, while Cote d'Ivoire confirms 1

Nigeria has confirmed six new outbreaks of H5N1 avian flu in poultry, while Cote d'Ivoire reported one, according to separate World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reports yesterday.

The six Nigerian outbreaks happened on farms housing egg-laying hens in Plateau state in central Nigeria. They began Jan 20 to 23 and involve flocks ranging in size from 1,137 to 6,091 birds. Of the 22,144 chickens on the six farms, 436 died from the virus and the rest were destroyed to prevent further spread of the disease.

Nigeria has battled scores of H5N1 outbreaks in recent months after the virus resurged there last year.

The Cote d'Ivoire outbreak involved a 2,000-chicken farm in Abidjan district along the south coast. Three birds died from H5N1, and the rest were culled. The outbreak began on Dec 24, but test results weren't confirmed until Jan 18.Jan 26 OIE report on Nigeria Jan 26 OIE report on Cote d'Ivoire